Serbs for dialogue against co-existence with Kosovars

They also support agreements from Brussels and Washington, but do not see their profit.

This was shown by the latest public opinion poll conducted by the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, reports B92.

Although most Serbian citizens trust authorities and support resolving the Kosovo issue, half of them do not know what the purpose of Serbia's negotiations with Kosovo is.

Research showed that half of Serbia's citizens support dialogue between them and Kosovo, although more than 90 per cent of people do not feel any benefit from it and almost three-quarters of them think it has changed nothing.

So citizens believe in the potential of dialogue for solving the problem, but they think it was wasted in handling the side issues, from which they do not benefit, the study estimates.

Only a fifth of citizens reportedly think the government's ultimate goal is to preserve Serbia's territory, in line with Resolution 1244, while half believe this would be the ideal result of negotiations.

However, as mentioned, the negative attitudes of the majority towards Kosovo Albanians, as well as doubts about the positive outcome of negotiations and the possibility of lasting peace between Serbs and Albanians in the Balkans, indicate the existence of cognitive dissonance, Terlegraph broadcasts.

Research showed that citizens do not give up on Kosovo, while at the same time they want reconciliation and normal relations, but they do not think such negotiations lead to it.

Therefore, scepticism about the results of the dialogue, as half think a deal will never be reached, and only a quarter believe it will take place in the next three to five years.

About two-thirds of citizens believe relations will not normalise in the near future, despite the outcome of the dialogue, while others see the agreement as a precondition for that.

Therefore, 70 per cent believe there will be no peace between Serbs and Albanians in the Balkans in the near future.

Up to three quarters of citizens would not accept that Kosovo Albanians were public officials in Serbia or marry a member of their own family, and two-thirds refused to be superior at work.

It is somewhat encouraging that two-thirds of citizens would accept Kosovo Albanians as residents of the same state and as neighbours.